Field of the Invention
The invention lies in the field of multi-channel optical connections. Connector bodies--also designated optical endpieces or ferrules--are thereby used for terminating and coupling optical fibers. Within the scope of the present invention, an optical fiber is understood as a conductor that is capable of guiding and transmitting an optical signal, such as optical fiber sets, optical fiber ribbons or optical conductors constructed on a substrate. The connector bodies can be connected to suitable connecting partners with corresponding coupling partners. Consideration can be given as coupling partners to, for example, the ends of similar optical fibers, but also to short optical fiber connecting pieces (so-called pigtails) or electrooptical transducers (for example laser diodes).
The invention pertains to a connector body for the optical connection of a plurality of optical fibers, having receptacles for the ends of the optical fibers, with a coupling end face to which the receptacles lead. A plurality of aligning openings are provided that are accessible at the coupling end face for cooperating aligning means.
Such a connector body is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,093 to Longhurst (European application EP 0 458 608 A1). That prior art connector body is preferably produced by injection molding and has a back into which a ribbon cable comprising a plurality of individual optical fiber ends enters. The individual optical fibers run in a common plane in a parallel fashion up to the front of the connecting body, which is constructed as a coupling end face and is situated opposite to and parallel with the back. The individual coupling end faces of the individual optical fiber ends are accessible at the coupling end face and can be optically coupled to assigned coupling partners. The connector body is provided with continuous through bores running in a parallel fashion on both sides of the optical fibers for the purpose of achieving a reproducible coupling of high quality. The bores have a circular cylindrical configuration and are accessible to cooperating aligning means, for example in the form of cylindrical centering pins from the side of the coupling end face. During a connecting operation with a complementary connector part, the centering pins thereof penetrate into the aligning openigns of the connector body and thereby ensure a relative positioning of the assigned coupling partners.
The aligning openings have a constant cross sectional width, and in the case of a circular cylindrical configuration, a constant diameter over their entire length. They end with a sharp edge at the coupling end face. Particularly in the case of repeated connecting operations--that is to say a plurality of plug-in cycles--the comparatively hard centering pins can damage the sensitive edge contours of the aligning openings. The abrasion particles produced in the process usually adhere to the centering pin, and are stripped off by the latter during the further connecting operation. As a result, the abrasion residue is undesirably deposited between the coupling end faces, which are to be brought into contact, of the connector bodies to be connected. It is also possible for further pollutants adhering to the centering pins to be deposited in this way. Substantial impairment of the optical coupling (worsening of the coupling efficiency) can result from this. Consequently, it is necessary to subject the prior art connector body to thorough cleaning of its coupling end face after a few plug-in cycles.